1. Field
One or more embodiments of the invention relate to modified rubber compositions comprising an elastomer component and a modifier comprising a steroid, a peptide, or mixtures thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Since the advent of vulcanized rubber, the composition and manufacture of tires have undergone many advances. Because tires are often subjected to rough road conditions that cause repetitive, localized high-pressure impact on a tire, fatigue fractures can occur leading to crack formation and growth in the tire. Accordingly, advances in tires have included such innovations as including reinforcing materials in tires, such as carbon black, silicas, silica/silanes, and/or short fibers. The addition of silica in tires has been found to deflect and suppress cut prolongation, while silanes have been employed to bind the silica to unsaturated elastomers. Fibers that have been employed as tire additives include nylon and aramid fibers. However, despite such advances in tire additives, there remains a compromise in rubber formulation between improving traction and improving wear resistance. This is because generally an increase in traction, which is typically accomplished by employing a softer rubber, comes at the expense of wear resistance, which is generally improved by employing a harder rubber. Accordingly, improved additives that address both of these concerns could be desirable.